For several years, the circus came to the
Clarkston Campus, and later, the location changed to the Decatur Campus.The circus was free and was sponsored by the
Day Foundation.The circus was a small
affair and seemed to be run largely by one extended family.The big trucks would arrive and set up out
at the edge of the parking lot.A
strong hint of elephant on the air would always let us know when they had
arrived.

All of us with small children loved this
circus.It was handy, it was free, it
didn't last too long, and it took place in the gym so we were always up close
and personal with the acts.One year I
took my Brownie Scout troop to the gym at Clarkston to see the circus.

First of all, when we saw the elephant outside, we
wondered how he would get inside.Plant
Services removed the double doors and the center post.As we watched, the trainer led the elephant
to the door.The elephant moved forward
as far as he could go and then slowly bent one front leg and then the
other.Down on his front legs, he could
maneuver under the door.Then he slowly
lowered his back end and raised his front end.He was through.We thought that
would be the most interested thing the elephant did, but, oh, were we wrong.

Once the elephant entered the gym, he was led by
his trainer across the floor to just in front of our place on the
bleachers.We could hear the soft sound
of his feet on the black rubber covering all over the gym floor.He was so close.We could see his long, curled eyelashes.

And then it happened--the amazing event the
Brownies remember after all these years.The elephant turned around, facing away from us.Slowly he raised his skinny tail.Then that puckered up place under the tail
began to change slowly as we all watched.It began to widen into a big circle like the lens of a giant camera
opening.It was huge and here came a
huge boulder of elephant doo, as big as a basketball.We could see it coming and it slowly reached the opening and
began to fall to the gym floor.Everything was happening in slow motion.From out of nowhere, a man raced over carrying a garbage can and
took his position behind the elephant.With the can raised above his head, the man prepared to catch the
boulders of elephant doo. One after another, we would watch them move to the
opening and fall into the trashcan.Finally, the elephant finished and the man left the gym with the
trashcan.The elephant moved into the
ring to perform his other tricks.

As we watched the rest of the show not a Brownie
moved.No one said a word.No one wiggled or commented.They just watched the spectacle and so did
I."Wow," said the
Brownies."Wow," said the
scout leader.That elephant was
amazing.